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Adam Scott believes the new rules have made the sport a “laughingstock;” Happy to be a martyr in the fight against slow play
The modernized rules of golf have come under fire from a number of Tour professionals already this year, and Adam Scott is the latest man to join the list of disgruntled pros unhappy with the changes.
Speaking to the New York Times, Scott criticized the USGA and R&A’s rule changes, saying “They’ve just written more gray areas into the game that were not necessary.” The Australian singled out the new drop rule which forces players to drop from knee height as opposed to shoulder height, a rule which will make Scott think twice before taking a drop in 2019 without the consultation of his caddie or a rules official, in fear of violating the new regulation.
Another rule change which Scott discussed was the ability that players now have of leaving the flag-stick in the hole while putting – a rule which Scott believes will change the art of putting entirely.
“To be honest it almost changes the whole aim of the game. It’s to hit the pin, not hole the putt. It takes speed out of your head so much. It even takes some reading of the green out.”
For Scott, officials are changing too much too fast causing detriment to the sport which he believes is now becoming the object of ridicule.
“We haven’t had a lot of changes in golf in the history of the game, and we’ve had a lot recently — rules changing weekly in some cases — and it’s crazy. I think we’re becoming the laughingstock.”
The former Masters champ recently spoke to the PGA Tour’s chief of tournaments and competitions Andy Pazder, who he told that he was willing to be penalized for slow play if it would help fellow professionals speed up. Concerning slow play, Scott believes the lack of penalties enforced, as well as the absence of financial ramifications, is at the core of one of golfs biggest issues.
“Make me the victim. I’ll take the penalty. The only way it’s going to work is if you enforce it. There’s a big media fuss, a big feeling that we play slow, and we do, but the tour is an entertainment business and a big money maker for a lot of people. Until sponsors and TV tell the commissioner you guys play too slow and we’re not putting money up, it’s a waste of time talking about because it’s not going to change.”
Scott, who is in the field this week at the Genesis Open, further emphasised his frustration at the lack of action concerning slow play in the game, stating
“We’ve seen too many years, too much complaining about it. And zero action about it.”
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GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.
From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.
Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matthieu Pavon – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Pullout Albums
See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.
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SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”
“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”
Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.
According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”
CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.
“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.
Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
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Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Peter Kuest WITB 2024 (May)
Peter Kuest what’s in the bag accurate as of CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)...
Kelly Kraft WITB 2024 (May)
Kelly Kraft’s what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here. ...
Taylor Pendrith’s winning WITB: 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Accra TZ Six ST 3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees) Buy here....
Ben Kohles WITB 2024 (May)
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)...
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Grizz01
Feb 16, 2019 at 7:36 pm
I concur to some degree. I think tournament play they should have to take the pin out. For everyday players, especially on the weekends. If you want to leave the pin in, leave it in with no penalty. Speed up play, and use that score for your handicap.
Scott Ivlow
Feb 22, 2019 at 11:48 am
The problem with your tournament play argument is what qualifies as a tournament? But a dumb rule change having 2 different rules makes make no sense. If a a pro player wants to leave it in they should be allowed to do it under the USGA rule. There is no single advantage to making a putt with the pin the hole. Just because a player might aim at the flag there is no guarantee that the ball will go into the hole anyway. Leaving it a golfer will still be making a risk of hitting it and not go in the whole.
Greg Marthaler
Feb 15, 2019 at 3:29 pm
Dropping from the knee and putting with the flagstick in don’t improve pace of play. The way to speed up play is to institute ready golf, ban the yardage/green books, use lasers. Eliminate pros calling in rules officials simply to make a drop. If a player is slow (JB Holmes, Ben Crane) assess them a 2 shot penalty. The warning comes on the 1st tee, before the round starts.
Sparky
Feb 15, 2019 at 1:25 pm
Where were all the complainers during the rule review period? USGA gave us a ton of time and explicitly invited comments. Quityer bitchin.
In a year everyone will be used to it and we’ll be fine. Jeez.
YouAreWrong
Feb 15, 2019 at 12:32 pm
100% spot on.
Church!
John Barrett
Feb 15, 2019 at 12:25 pm
Watching reruns of the wonderful world of golf, I noticed way back during those times that the pros like Byron Nelson on longer puts, putt with the pin in. So I don’t know what the big hoopala is regarding the USGA going back to this rule. Dropping from the height of the knee, means that the ball will less likely move more than the allotted distance from the point of contact with the ground and therefore eliminating multiple drops plus dropping from the knee will less likely result in a bad lie because a ball will drop with less speed and more likely quickly come to rest.
James Flynn
Feb 15, 2019 at 12:14 pm
When a stroke difference could be worth 500k, I’d take my time too.
Matt
Feb 14, 2019 at 7:23 pm
Adam Scott is my favorite golfer and he is way off the mark on this.
JohnnyNight
Feb 14, 2019 at 5:01 pm
OMG..!! LOL..!! For Adam Scott, the golferwho used a telephone pole for a putter to call anything in golf a disgrace is THE JOKE OF THE CENTURY..!! The guy made the sport look like an activity for the weak and weak minded as he attempted to hole out 6 inch putts with his TELEPHONE POLE..!! And this from what appeared to be the most physically fit man on the tour…
Deano
Feb 14, 2019 at 5:05 pm
“Telephone pole for a putter” – nailed it.
And couldn’t agree more. I laughed out loud reading his comments. He’s an embarrassment.
Travis
Feb 14, 2019 at 5:07 pm
You’re an idiot please never post again.
Fah Q
Feb 15, 2019 at 3:26 am
You too
BernieMadoff
Feb 15, 2019 at 7:57 pm
You too.
ChipNRun
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:50 pm
——————
Quoting OBESITY
“Golf is the perfect vehicle to fight obesity by making everybody walk who can, except for those who are truly handicapped and have a license indicating so.”
——————
Some golf courses are set up so most people use pull carts; only a handful of riding carts.
But, you must realize that for some golf is a sport among others. One guy I know also works out at the gym and runs in charity 10Ks. He says that golf is recreation – he takes a cart because he gets his workout elsewhere.
And licensing the old and handicapped? That is great optics for a sport which talks about being “more inclusive.” It’s bad enough golf has done away for anchored putting, which a lot of seniors with back trouble sorely miss.
As for LAUGHINGSTOCK? Let’s not forget about learning curve. Whenever you change the processes of an activity like golf, it takes people awhile to get used to it.
Here in the Midwest, traffic circles – as opposed to t-crossing streets with stop signs – have been around more than a decade. But, some people claim they still find them confusing.
When things change, even if you can show benefits of the change, you always encounter some who oppose it. After a year or two, I suspect we’ll see a retweak of new golf rules points that didn’t work out well. We’ll have to wait and see.
Brian
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:27 pm
Please educate me, but I thought the drop rule meant you could drop it from as low as knee height…not that you had to drop it from knee height.
Travis
Feb 14, 2019 at 5:08 pm
I’m 99% sure it’s knee height and dropping it from higher can result in a penalty. The rule SHOULD be drop it from minimum knee height to maximum shoulder height and be done with it.
KS
Feb 14, 2019 at 9:48 pm
Gee i too thought the new meant to lessen the penalty of dropping, where the knee height is the minimum.
Tartan Golf Travel
Feb 14, 2019 at 11:14 pm
It’s at knee height. Not above or below. Another silly rule brought to you by the morons at the USGA
Scott Ivlow
Feb 22, 2019 at 12:07 pm
I get why people on here hate new knee height ball drop. Like they never seen a golf tournament where a pro drops a ball at shoulder height and the ball rolls from the drop spot both times and then watch the player place the ball. So from knee height the ball has a far less chance of rolling from the drop and still has a random placement than a player’s preffered position like say your standing next a divet or anything doesn’t offer the best lie. Having a placement of a golf ball just gives the golfer the potential to a spot that offers the best lie.
Jordan
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:08 pm
Crossfield recently played with a few of the euro pros. Some tested leaving pin in and felt that it penalized you more than taking it out.
So unless Adam has done testing to back his claim, or some independent body proves that flag in really is statistically a benefit. There isn’t a problem with it.
Shooter McGavin
Feb 16, 2019 at 11:17 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc90UbpJbuM
It is of benefit.
Obesity
Feb 14, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Obesity.
The USGA and the PGA and all the Tours around the world should get together to fight obesity and get rid of carts/buggies.
Know why they won’t?
They’re afraid the courses will lose money and the industry will shrink to half what it is, because they know people are lazy.
Carts slow down play more often than people think, as bad, lazy players don’t even know etiquette.
So that’s another problem they should add to the slow play list, if they want to get serious about making it faster for the amateurs.
Golf is the perfect vehicle to fight obesity by making everybody walk who can, except for those who are truly handicapped and have a license indicating so.
Tom
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:19 pm
I grew up walking 18 holes and playing in less than 2 and a half hours, (with nobody holding us up)….I now often play in a cart (due to bad knees) and play in less than 2 and a half hours (if not held up)….it has nothing to do with carts, it has everything to do with the player!
Obesity
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:22 pm
Your course must be really short and have nobody playing on it.
Liar
Feb 14, 2019 at 11:10 pm
You never walked 18 holes and played in 2.5 hours. NEVER. IF you did, you were playing a par 3 course. I hate idiots that exaggerate for the sake of I’m not sure why. My group is as fast as any players around. All sub par handicaps and we can play in just under 3 hours, RIDING…and that’s flying! I bet people that know you don’t like you.
84425
Feb 15, 2019 at 1:59 pm
Nonsense! I’ve played/walked 18 in under two hours (ok, by myself), but even a three ball should be able to play/walk in less than 3 hours.
Brian
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:31 pm
A round of golf already takes 4+ hours to play when riding a cart. That’s just want I want to do every Saturday and Sunday in the dead middle of 90+ July days…stand in the middle of a golf course for 6+ hours.
If Carts slow the game down, why is my foursome constantly playing through groups of walkers on the weekends?
Steve Shapard
Feb 15, 2019 at 1:22 pm
Agreed. It is the golfer, not the cart. Same golfers in carts can play a much faster round than walking if speed of play is the point. The point being, the same golfers and same level of play. That is also assuming that the cart riders do so correctly and efficiently.
Drives me CRAZY to see guys in their carts sit on their butts, drive from one guys ball, hit it, and then drive to the other players ball, find and hit it.
Not THAT truly does slow the game down and is slower than walking. Unfortunately you see that happen all the time,
Brian
Feb 14, 2019 at 3:08 pm
If I show up to a course and it’s CPO, I almost always get back in the car and go somewhere else.
I walk all the time and frequently play in groups that have carts. I keep up just fine. Straight lines are the fastest way from A to B.
tgk
Feb 15, 2019 at 2:02 pm
77 years old, would love to walk a course but spinal arthritis forces me to ride. Also, the majority of higher end public and semi private courses are designed to use power carts as walking from greens to tees can take 5-10 minutes and many courses need the revenue from cart fees to survive.
Grizz01
Feb 16, 2019 at 7:43 pm
If you can out bench me and out squat me, I’ll start walking. (I know you can’t, I’m in the 99.5%.)
So get to the gym and start strength training… be a real man.
MacAttack
Feb 14, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Watching the guys bend over for a “drop” is a complete joke and if you let these guys putt with the flags in you’re going to see 56-57 in the near future. It’s too easy to make the average pro putt like Tiger from 6-8 feet for par. I find the changes disgraceful.
GARYT
Feb 14, 2019 at 11:36 am
So putting with the flag in is a bad thing yet Adam putts with the flag in
Travis
Feb 14, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Because he knows it’s a distinct advantage that can make him more money. He’s admitting it makes the game easier so when millions upon millions of dollars are on the line then why would he not take advantage of it? He’s just also pointing out that it makes the game look stupid as an aside.
People forget PGA Tour players are only out there to make money. Their lives are not guaranteed. It’s week to week. They have opinions on how the game should be run but priority #1 is their own paycheck and livelihood.
Billy B
Feb 14, 2019 at 10:39 am
The guy that needed the crutch of an anchored putter is complaining about a flag stick “changing the art of putting”. Funny
John O
Feb 14, 2019 at 10:31 am
The exactly knee high drop thing is stupid. Obviously it should have been “no lower than knee height” or just place the damn thing. Pro golfers should still be putting with the flag out – leaving it in should be a shortcut to simplify and speed things up for amateurs.
15th Club
Feb 14, 2019 at 11:18 am
Do you not understand why “no lower than knee height” wouldn’t work? I can tell you. It would allow players to game the process by dropping from as high as they could reach, to cause a dropped ball to bounce and possibly roll to a place were a re-drop, and then a second re-drop, would ultimately lead to the player being able to place it.
The knee height is an easy, sensible compromise to (1) arrange a drop that has some randomness to it, to create a natural lie and (2) reduce (while admittedly not eliminate) the necessity of re-drops when a ball bounds away from the drop point in an unallowable direction or to an unallowable location.
Thanks for asking.
Now; as to golf being made a “laughingstock.” I don’t think so; but nobody is contributing more to golf’s problems than the Tours and touring professionals. The Tour pros on the Ladies tours were the ones going psychopathic with caddies lining them up. The Tour pros were teaching all television viewers what golf looks like at a glacial pace. The Tour pros created the business of green-reading books.
Tour pros: You want to see a “laughingstock”? Look in a mirror. Or just turn on Golf Channel.
Troysii
Feb 15, 2019 at 4:59 am
Why not just make it hip height. Stand up straight, hold arm slightly away from body
15th Club
Feb 15, 2019 at 8:27 am
Because they wanted it lower; for the reasons I suggested. To make drops from a lower height, so as to reduce the number of times that balls drop and bounce or roll into impermissible positions.
What I cannot understand is what is the problem with knee height, in a game where you place a ball on a tee 18 times, and pick a ball up out of the hole 18 times?
I’ve seen the videos where people are trying to mock the Rule, and I don’t get it. They all seem completely ignorant of the point of the Rule change. (They most likely never understood it to begin with; they would have created very different kinds of video demonstrations if they had been serious about attempting to rebut the USGA’s reasoning.)
Doug
Feb 18, 2019 at 9:01 am
Agreed.
Dropping is an art in my opinion. With the old rule, whenever possible, I would try to drop in a spot that would purposely roll too far outside the required area so as to get to place the ball after two failed drop attempts. Of course, it was not always possible to achieve success if the drop area was not ideal. Flat areas made it less likely to happen. So, I would then look for the most ideal place to drop so that the bounce gave me a good chance to get a better lie. But dropping from shoulder height made that outcome more difficult. Now, dropping from knee height can make your chances of getting a decent lie better, but there are still no guarantees, while at the same time, limiting the chances the ball will roll outside the drop zone. The rule is written to address both situations. And it does, regardless of how some people think it looks.
If it were the reverse and the rule had always been as it is now and was then changed to drop from shoulder height, the whole golfing world would be up in arms over that. Everyone would be whining that they can’t get decent lies without getting lucky, or that it takes too long to drop twice, when you know full well that the ball won’t stay where you drop it, giving you the option to place it.
Nobody likes change. Me neither. However, in this case, the drop rule may not initially seem better for pace of play or benefit to a player’s lie, but it is. No matter how funny and awkward it may look.
And when the USGA changes the rule to allow for removing the ball from old divots in the fairway with free relief, I will support that one too. Bet you won’t see too many complaints about that one, except from those who just like to complain for the sake of complaining.
Generally, I think the USGA can be a bit dictatorial and/or overbearing. They may be necessary for high-level amateur and Pro competition, but are certainly not in touch with the average public golfer. I’d characterize them as oblivious to our needs most of the time. So, I am not a big supporter of them. But somebody has to make rules, whether we agree or not. In this case though, I am happy with the new drop rule.